The Covenant (2023)

Information

Torgo
This had a really nice first half.
It also had another half. 9 months ago
Siskoid
I suppose the reason everyone's noting that The Covenant has to be GUY RITCHIE'S The Covenant is because it doesn't particularly feel like a Guy Ritchie, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It shows he can stretch (or restrain) himself as a director, and all stories can't be told like they're Snatch. And this is a good one. Jake Gyllenhall leads a unit in Afghanistan, trying to find weapons caches, while Dar Salim is the maverick interpreter who's hard to control, but on whose area knowledge is crucial. Well-choreographed, grounded action, with a memorable score and cool dialog supports what becomes a love letter to the post of interpreter, and dramatizes the debt that should be paid to those who put their lives on the line to oppose the Taliban who are once again masters of that country. The two principals are terrific and carry the picture without the help of Ritchie's usual bag of tricks. So good on him for acknowledging he didn't need them, and so produced a solid war picture that didn't need to replay some "true story" (which is often how these things are sold). 10 months 3 weeks ago
Angellike
You sort of know what you are going to get. Sort of. Still had me invested throughout. 12 months ago